Liquid carbonator



s. M. DICK LIQUID cARBoNAToR July 28; 1931.

Filed Aug. l, 1929v 2 Sheets-Sheet ,rf/lling Illllrlllllll/fill!!!Ifllllllllll/lllffdl lrll. l.

July 28, 1931. s. M. DICK LIQUID CARBONATOR Filed Aug. l. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 VCA mmap

feo

SAMUEL M. DICK, oF rasennnn. CALIFORNIA LIQUID CARBON ATOR Applica-tion led August 1, 1929. Serial No. 382,810.

ATheirwentien aims to provide an execpf ."ifncnally.` small, campano, light, inexpensive v.andV elicient Ylcanbonator for various liquids. In attaining the Yabove object, a further f5 `aim is to make novel provision for conditioning the carbonator for .handling relatively thin liquids such as water, dilute juices, etc.. or for handling heavier liquids such as milk or buttermilk or more or less viscous liquids,

i0 .for instancdfruit juices.

A. still further object is to provide a car .bonator relying to a large .extent for its ef- 4iiciency, upon passage of intermingled liquid andscarbonating gasjointly through a multi- 'i plicity of perforations, a plurality of perforated mixers bei-ng preferably employed through which 4the intermingled liquid and gas are successively passed :under pressure.

` A sti ll 'further aim is the provision 0f novel 20means for initially intermingling the carbon- .ating gas with the liquid :to .be carbonated.

With the foregoing and minor objects 1n View, the invention resides in the novel sub-y ect'lnatter hereinafter vdescribed .and claimed,

Vto the accompanying drawings. v Fig. El Vis ,a vertical sectional view through one form o'carbonator :constructed in accordance with my invention. y f

. fFig. 2 is atop plan view. y t

' Fig. S'is aihorzontal sectional vview on line *e-3 vof Fig. 1.- l "Fig elL is adetalilverticail .sectional view on line 4-40'f Fig. 2. l K

. Fig. 'bis Ia vsectionalView showing 'a re- "m-civable perforated cap having relatively v.coarse ,pertorations said .ca p or any of a plurality of similar caps having perforations ofdiffer-ent size, being interchangeably useable with the similar cap shown .in the Vupper portion of Fig. 1. -f

' Fig. 1.6 is a plan view of a partition having relatively vcoarse perfo-rations, which "parti- @tion orany 0f arrumber 'of similar ,partitions having prforations of dfierent sizes, may be interchangeably used with the more finely perforated'partition shown inthe upper portion-of Fig. 1. f y

The Vfor-in oconstruction herein .illustrated will be ratherspecifcally described7 with lthe description being accomplished by reference TES PATENT OFFICE) d` understanding that within the scope of the I' invention as claimed, may be made. v f

rlhe numeral 7 on the .drawings denotes a tank to contain the liquid to be carbonated, said tank having a tightly fitting closure 8 held in place by tbe bolts 9 or any other desired means. Extending through the closure S is a pipe or the like 10 for conducting a gas under pressure into the upper port-ion` or" the tank 7 ytor the purpose of driving the liquid from this tank through a pipe 11into a carbonating chamber 12 formed by the interior of a vertically elongated container ,13, said container being supported by the closure 8 in the present showing. As' 1t is the sole 4iunction of the tank 7 to contain the liquid rand permit placing thereof under pressure Vfor discharge through the pipe 11, it Awill be obvious that if other provision, be made for supplying the liquid to the pipe l1 under pressure, the tank 'l' will not be necessary, in which case, the container 13 would ofcourse be supported in some other adequate way. As both of these suggested changes involve only mechanical skill, they have not been shown in the drawings. y

ln the present showing, the container 13, is formed ot' upper and lower sections v14---15 ynumerous: variations respectively, the lower section being secured tightly in an opening 16 in the closure y8 and projecting somewhat above said closure, while thev lower end of the section i4, sur rounds the projecting upper end of section l5v and rrests upon a gasket 17 supported. by the closure 8. A. horizontal bar 18 is centrally secured to the container section 14 and is provided ucar its ends with notches 19 engaging clamping screws 20 which are threadedinto the upper ends of standards 21 rising rigidly from the closure 8.. Bey loosening the set screws 20, the bar land containersection 14 may be turned suiciently to disengage said bar from said screws,

whereupon the aforesaid section 1i and the n bar 18 may be bodily removed from the reniaind'er ot the apparatus, said bar then constituting a handle for said sectionr 14. l This operation is performed when conditioning the liquid and rgas mixing means according E able -V upper sectionY or cap 34 removably YthreadedV at 35 Yup'on said lower section 33.

'any desired source,

to the character of the liquid to be carbonated, as will hereinafter appear.

The pipe 11v passes through and is tluid-v tightly secured in an opening 22 in the lower end of the containerrsection 15, the vlower end of this pipe being swelled at 23 inthe present showing, into bellVK formation and having openings 24 through which the liquid from the tank 7 enters said pipe. A gas supply pipe 25 which passes through and is carried by the closure 8, enters the bell or the like 23 through a notch 26 therein, saidV pipe 25 being provided with perforations 27 within the swelled portion or bell 23 for directing carbonating gas under pressure trom intoV the liquid in, the

pipe 11, thereby'elfecting initial interminglinoioi the liquid to ybe carbonatedv with the carbonating gas, and this liquid and gas jointlyrisevthrough the pipe 11 to be further intimately mixed, received in the lower portion of the chamber 12 in a thoroughly carbonated condition, and eventually discharged through alpipe 28 leading from the lower end of the container 13, said pipe 28 Vbeing here shown as passing through and carried by the closure 8.

Y `Toinsure intimate'mingling of the gas and liquid 'ascending through the pipe 11, I provide a central longitudinal core29 in said pipe, which core may well be a blind continuation of the pipe 25. This core thins the stream of liquidl ascending through the pipe 11 and the carbonating' gas discharged into this thinned stream from the perforations 27, thoroughly mingles with the liquid. Mounted upon the upper extremity ofthe pipe 11, within the upper portion of the container 13, is a gas and liquid mixer 30 having a multiplicity ofjperforations 31 through which the intermingled gas and liquid from the pipe 11 are jointly discharged, so that further and more intimate mixture is obtained. Extending across thechamber 12, below the mixer 30, is a iinalgas and liquid mixing, perforated partition'32. After Y the gas and liquid pass downwardly through this partition in seeking the .discharge pipe 29, they have produced athoroughly carbonated liquid which isfdischarged through -saidpip-e 28. l

-At least the perforated portion ofthe mixer is removable to permit substitution of a lsimilar portion having perforations of a different size, bestadapted to the-liquid to be carbonated. Similarly, the partition 32 1s removable and vfor it apartition having perforations of a properfsize, mayV be substituted. In the present showing, the hollow mixer 30 embodies a lower section 33 and a remov- When vthe upper` container section 14V is re- 'plainedi l* moved in themanner above described, the cap 34 is accessible and may readily be removed by hand. Then, another cap suchV as 34a (Fig. 5) may be substituted for said capl `32,- said partition 32@ having peri'orations`37a oic larger size than the perforations 37 of said partitionV 32. Y Any desired [number of" the partitions suoli as 32 Vand 32amay beemployed, having perforations of various sizes,

vand the partition most suitable-for thefliquid to be carbonated, maybe installed, removal of one partition and substitution of lanother oi" course'entailing removal of .the uppencontainer section 14, in the manner kabove exl prefer 32 or32a, with a central opening 38 through which the upper portion of the pipe 11 passes,

and to provide said pipe with an upwardly lacing shoulder 39 upon which the partition is clamped by the-lower extremity of the lower section 33 of the mixer 30. This constitutes a simple 1and inexpensive, yet an eliicient manner of mounting the partition and allowsrone to be'removed and another quickly and easily substituted.

In the operation of the carbonator, the liqto Vprovide .each partition such as Y uid to be carbonated flows upwardly through the pipe .11 (whether from the tank 7 or from some other source)1and in this pipe, the carbonating gas is initially intermingledlwith the liquid, said gas discharging from Ythe pertorations 27 inthe present disclosure.v The core 29 thins thestream of liquidf ascending through the. pipe 11v and insures 4more thorough mingling of thegas and liquid than 'could otherwise be obtained. TheA initially intermingled. gas and 1' liquid. are received in the mixerf30 :andare jointly dis-V' charged from the latter into-the upper por@ vtion of the `container 14, through the perforaltions of the cap, such as'34or 34a, a secondV and more intimate mixture yof gas andliquid being thus effected. l The mixture of gasand i liquid from the upper portion of the ,container 14, passes downwardly under pressure through the perforated-partition such as 32V or 32a and this partition eiiects a final mixing operation,'producingga thoroughly carbonatedv liquid which discharges `from the chamber 12 through the pipe 28. Obviously, no flow of liquid can take place Vthroughetho apparatus until a: spigot, draught larm, or f the like connected with the vpipe 28. iS, Opened,

but upon such opening, flow of the liquid under pressure takes place and the carbonating gas is of course supplied at desired rate and pressure. I have found however' that this gas may be under an unusually low pressure, for instance fortyy pounds, whereas ordinarily the carbonating gas used with present carbonators, is maintained at a pressure around one-,hundred and fifty pounds.

Particular attention is invitedy to the fact that the carbonator may be quickly and easily changed for producing either light or rich carbonation of liquids, whether they be thick, thin or more or less viscous. Then too, the unusually simple and compact construction is Va very desirable characteristic, allowing kquick and easy -disassembling for cleaning,

changing mixers, etc. Moreover, the simple construction of the apparatus is such that it may be made unusually small and light and hence is well adapted to domestic use, it being vpossible to install suchl apparatus in an ordinary refrigerator.

I.claim:-

l. In a carbonator, a container having a carbonated liquid outlet and a removable portion Vspaced therefrom, a rigid liquid and f gas conducting pipe terminating in said container and havinga shoulder near its Vterminal, a hollow gas and liquid mixer detachably mounted .upon said pipe terminal to receive theliquid and gas therefrom, and a perforated gas and liquid mixing partition extending across said container between said mixer and said outlet, said partition removably being clamped between said mixer and said e shoulder and having an` opening through which said pipe passes, said mixer and said partition beingaccessible upon removal of said removable container portion.

2. In a carbonator, a tank for the liquid to be carbonated, said tank having an inlet tor gas under pressure, a liquid container` supported by the top of said tank and having a carbonated liquid outlet at its lower end, gas and liquid mixing means in said container, a pipe rising from the tank bottom into said container and leading to said mixing means for conducting liquid to the latter fromy said tank, and means for conductingfa carbonating gas into said pipe. n f

3. In a carbonator, a tank for the liquid to .be carbonated, said tank having an inlet for gas under pressure, a liquid container supported by the top of said tank and having a carbonated liquid outlet at its lower end, gas Y and liquid mixing means in saidy container, a

*pipe rising from thetank bottom into said n pipe end, and a core in said pipe to thin the stream of liquid ascending therethrough and insure more thorough intermingling of the gas and liquid.

5. kA carbonator comprising a lower container section closed at its lower end, open at its upper end and having a carbonated liquid outlet at said lower end, a vertical liquid and gas conducting pipe passing through said closedy lower end of said lower container section and projecting above said open upper end of said lower container section, a perfoi-ated hollow spray head removably supported by and communicating with the upper extremity of said liquid and gas conducting pipe, a perforated horizontal partition removably supported by said pipe below said spray head but above said open upper end of said lower container section,.and an upper container section closed at its upper end. and having an open lower end, the latter being removably engaged fluid-tightly with said open upper end of said lower container section, said upper container section containing ysaid perforated head and partition, whereby upon removal of said upper container section said head and partition may be readily removed and others substituted.

6. In a carbonator, a vertical liquid-conducting pipe haviiig perforated discharge means at its upper end and an internally enlarged portion spaced downwardly from said discharge means, and a gas-conducting tube having a perforated gas discharge portion within said enlarged pipe portion, said tube extending upwardly within said pipe from its perforated portion, being spaced inwardly from the wall of the pipe and having a closed upper end, whereby said tube thins the liquid stream in the pipe and insures mixing of the SAMUEL M. DICK.

container and leading to said mixing means` f for conducting liquid to the latter from said tank, said pipe having a swelled lower end f, to receive the liquid from the tank, and means i for admitting a carbonating gas into said swelled pipe end. Y

4,. In a carbonator, a tank for the liquid to 

